Rex Battarbee
Encyclopedia
Reginald Ernest Battarbee (16 December 1893 - 2 September 1973) was an Australian artist notable for painting landscapes of Central Australia
, and for teaching Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira
to paint.
, Victoria and educated at the local state school and at Warrnambool Academy. In January 1916, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and joined the 58th Battalion in France. During the fighting at Bullecourt
, he was shot through the chest, face and both arms. He was invalided to Australia and hospitalized until late 1920; his left arm remained crippled. Unable to resume farmwork, in 1921-23 Battarbee studied commercial art in Melbourne, but developed a preference for the outdoor life of a landscape painter.
and the Flinders Ranges
in South Australia
. Their work appeared in successful exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney. On an expedition to South and Central Australia in 1932, they showed their paintings at the Hermannsburg Lutheran mission, on the Finke River
, west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory
. Returning to the area in 1934 to paint the Macdonnell and James ranges, Battarbee and Gardner again displayed their work at Hermannsburg—this time for the benefit of the Aborigines. The representation of places familiar to the local Aranda
(Arunta) people had great impact; among the viewers was Albert Namatjira
, then known simply as Albert, who asked for materials in order to do his own painting.
the authorities considered closing Hermannsburg on the ground that its German staff constituted a security risk. A compromise was reached, however, and in 1942 Battarbee was appointed a protector of Aborigines
and Commonwealth government officer overseeing the mission. There, on 7 October 1950, he married with Lutheran forms 30-year-old Ada Bernice Loone, a Baptist lay missionary. Pastor Albrecht conducted the service.
The Battarbees lived at Alice Springs and opened an Aboriginal art gallery, Tmara-mara, in their home. Rex continued to paint and exhibit. In 1964-66 Bernice ran the Battarbee Centralian Arts gallery, Adelaide, while her husband was briefly a patient in the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park. Returning to Alice Springs, Battarbee was appointed O.B.E. in 1971 for his services to art and Aborigines. He had been attracted to Central Australia by the variety and luminosity of colours to be found in the region. Although he believed that he had a sound sense of colour and that his best paintings would be remembered, he also expressed the view that his discovery of Namatjira would outlive the memory of his own art. Battarbee was a fellow (1937) of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts. he wrote Modern Australian Aboriginal Art (Sydney, 1951) and—with his wife—Modern Aboriginal Paintings (Adelaide, 1971). Survived by his son and daughter, he died on 2 September 1973 in the Old Timers' Home, Alice Springs, and was buried with Methodist forms in the town's cemetery. His work is represented in the Art Gallery of South Australia
and the National Gallery of Victoria
.
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
, and for teaching Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira , born Elea Namatjira, was an Australian artist. He was a Western Arrernte man, an Indigenous Australian of the Western MacDonnell Ranges area...
to paint.
Early career
Rex Battarbee was born in WarrnamboolWarrnambool, Victoria
-Cityscape:The original City of Warrnambool was a 4x8 grid, with boundaries of Lava Street , Japan Street , Merri Street and Henna Street . In the nineteenth century, it was intended that Fairy Street – with its proximity to the Warrnambool Railway Station – would be the main street of...
, Victoria and educated at the local state school and at Warrnambool Academy. In January 1916, he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force and joined the 58th Battalion in France. During the fighting at Bullecourt
Bullecourt
Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France.-Geography:Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. This shows Bullecourt just north of centre. Quéant is the larger of the two...
, he was shot through the chest, face and both arms. He was invalided to Australia and hospitalized until late 1920; his left arm remained crippled. Unable to resume farmwork, in 1921-23 Battarbee studied commercial art in Melbourne, but developed a preference for the outdoor life of a landscape painter.
In Outback Australia
In 1928, he and fellow commercial artist John Gardner bought a T-model Ford which had been converted to a caravan and set out on a fifteen-month trip, painting in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland. Two years later they travelled to western New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and the Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges
Flinders Ranges is the largest mountain range in South Australia, which starts approximately north west of Adelaide. The discontinuous ranges stretch for over from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. Their work appeared in successful exhibitions in Melbourne and Sydney. On an expedition to South and Central Australia in 1932, they showed their paintings at the Hermannsburg Lutheran mission, on the Finke River
Finke River
The Finke River is one of the largest rivers in central Australia. Its source is in the Northern Territory's MacDonnell Ranges, and the name Finke River is first applied at the confluence of the Davenport and Ormiston Creeks, just north of Glen Helen. From here the river meanders for approximately...
, west of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. Returning to the area in 1934 to paint the Macdonnell and James ranges, Battarbee and Gardner again displayed their work at Hermannsburg—this time for the benefit of the Aborigines. The representation of places familiar to the local Aranda
Aranda
-Places and events:*Aranda de Duero, a Spanish town located in Burgos province, the site of the Council of Aranda*Aranda , see Comarcas of Aragon*Aranda, Australian Capital Territory, a Canberra suburb named after the Arrernte people...
(Arunta) people had great impact; among the viewers was Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira
Albert Namatjira , born Elea Namatjira, was an Australian artist. He was a Western Arrernte man, an Indigenous Australian of the Western MacDonnell Ranges area...
, then known simply as Albert, who asked for materials in order to do his own painting.
With Albert Namatjira
Rex's and Jack's brightly coloured landscapes attracted notice in Melbourne art circles, and they became prolific exhibitors and writers about inland Australia; in 1934 Battarbee won a Victorian centenary art prize for watercolour. He undertook his third visit to Central Australia in 1936 and found Albert still waiting for him at the mission. With the permission of the superintendent Pastor Friedrich Albrecht, Battarbee employed Albert as camel-boy during excursions, each of one month, to Palm Valley and the Macdonnell Ranges. Battarbee taught Albert basic watercolour painting, and was astonished and inspired by his pupil's aptitude. He included three of Albert's works in his 1937 Royal South Australian Society of Arts showing in Adelaide and next year arranged a solo exhibition for him at the Fine Art Society Gallery, Melbourne.Life in Alice Springs
About 1940, Battarbee moved permanently to Central Australia. He conducted classes for an expanding group of Aboriginal artists and arranged further exhibitions of Namatjira's paintings in the southern capitals. As the Hermannsburg school of watercolourists developed, Battarbee became its promoter and helped to regulate the supply and distribution of its works to art markets. He was a member (from 1943) and chairman (1951-56) of the Aranda Arts Council and a member of the two advisory committees also formed to protect the artists' interests. During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the authorities considered closing Hermannsburg on the ground that its German staff constituted a security risk. A compromise was reached, however, and in 1942 Battarbee was appointed a protector of Aborigines
Protector of Aborigines
The role of Protectors of Aborigines resulted from a recommendation of the report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Aborigines . On 31 January 1838, Lord Glenelg, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies sent Governor Gipps the report.The report recommended that Protectors of...
and Commonwealth government officer overseeing the mission. There, on 7 October 1950, he married with Lutheran forms 30-year-old Ada Bernice Loone, a Baptist lay missionary. Pastor Albrecht conducted the service.
The Battarbees lived at Alice Springs and opened an Aboriginal art gallery, Tmara-mara, in their home. Rex continued to paint and exhibit. In 1964-66 Bernice ran the Battarbee Centralian Arts gallery, Adelaide, while her husband was briefly a patient in the Repatriation General Hospital, Daw Park. Returning to Alice Springs, Battarbee was appointed O.B.E. in 1971 for his services to art and Aborigines. He had been attracted to Central Australia by the variety and luminosity of colours to be found in the region. Although he believed that he had a sound sense of colour and that his best paintings would be remembered, he also expressed the view that his discovery of Namatjira would outlive the memory of his own art. Battarbee was a fellow (1937) of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts. he wrote Modern Australian Aboriginal Art (Sydney, 1951) and—with his wife—Modern Aboriginal Paintings (Adelaide, 1971). Survived by his son and daughter, he died on 2 September 1973 in the Old Timers' Home, Alice Springs, and was buried with Methodist forms in the town's cemetery. His work is represented in the Art Gallery of South Australia
Art Gallery of South Australia
The Art Gallery of South Australia , located on the cultural boulevard of North Terrace in Adelaide, is the premier visual arts museum in the Australian state of South Australia. It has a collection of over 35,000 works of art, making it, after the National Gallery of Victoria, the largest state...
and the National Gallery of Victoria
National Gallery of Victoria
The National Gallery of Victoria is an art gallery and museum in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1861, it is the oldest and the largest public art gallery in Australia. Since December 2003, NGV has operated across two sites...
.